After a disappointing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Ireland in Week 4, the Minnesota Vikings are now on to London as they prepare to face the Cleveland Browns there in Week 5. To go with the first-ever overseas back-to-back for an NFL team in two different cities, the Vikings will also face two AFC North teams without having to travel to a cold-weather city later in the season.
Also among the early wins for the Vikings in Week 5 will be facing the Browns, who are only saved from being 0-4 by an improbable comeback to beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. Their last two losses, to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 and to the Detroit Lions in Week 4, have come by matching 24-point margins.
To put it plainly, the Browns are among the worst offenses in the NFL in most categories so far this season. They have yet to score more than 17 points in a game, with 13 and 10 points scored in their last two games. Joe Flacco looks like a 40-year-old quarterback, with a 60.3 passer rating, a 36.7 QBR, two touchdowns, and six interceptions through four starts.
But it's not like there are clearly better options behind Flacco. Rookie Dillon Gabriel has gotten some garbage time work in the losses to the Ravens and the Lions, which says it all about the other rookie on the Browns' quarterback depth chart, Shedeur Sanders, who has been the emergency No. 3 quarterback for all four games so far.
After Sunday's loss to the Lions, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said it was "not our focus" when asked if Flacco would remain the starting quarterback. Pressed about considering a change, Stefanski offered that the offense's struggles go beyond one person.
Kevin Stefanski invites speculation about the Browns' Week 5 starting quarterback against the Minnesota Vikings
Stefanski was of course asked about his quarterback situation, again, during his Monday press conference.
“I understand the question,” Stefanski said, via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. “We have to play better as an offense. We have to coach better on offense. It’s not about one person. There are so many things that we need to do better and obviously quarterback included, but this is not about one person.”
Stefanski was then asked more directly about sticking with Flacco, but he remained non-committal.
"Yeah, my focus is on making sure this offense plays better."
The Browns' offense can't be much worse than it has been with Flacco under center. While a quarterback change is the easy potential solution to offer, having two rookies behind the former Super Bowl MVP makes it an uneasy idea for Stefanski.
Injuries have thinned Cleveland's ranks at offensive tackle and wide receiver over the last couple of games, which further makes it a less-than-ideal situation to drop a rookie into. An overseas game is also a less-than-ideal spot for Gabriel, but possibly Sanders, to make his first NFL start.
Former New England Patriot Bailey Zappe, with nine starts on his resume, is on the Browns' practice squad, and he's theoretically another option.
Stefanski was equally evasive on Monday when asked if Flacco would be the No. 2 quarterback if Gabriel (presumably) became the starter, deferring to the whole situation being "not really where my focus is."
The Browns are scheduled to leave for London after they practice on Wednesday, and Stefanski will delay deciding who his Week 5 starting quarterback will be as long as he can. But at the same time, while the Vikings might like to know, being so mum about it early in the new week gives the decision a level of gravity and importance it simply doesn't have.